Alessia’s heart pounded as her car pulled up to the gates of the Kane estate. The usual grandeur of the sprawling mansion was overshadowed by the tension that hung thick in the air. She couldn’t believe what Christian had told her: Zayden, her father, had been abducted on his way home. The scenario played over and over in her mind like a nightmare—black car, armed men, her father taken. None of it felt real.
She barely waited for the car to stop before jumping out and rushing inside. The moment she stepped through the heavy wooden doors, she was met with chaos.
Victoria was pacing the grand foyer, her face pale and streaked with tears. She wrung her hands as Zane followed closely behind, his voice low and soothing as he tried to calm her.
“Mom, sit down,” Zane urged gently, placing a steadying hand on her arm. “Panicking won’t help. We’ll figure this out.”
“How can you say that?” Victoria snapped, her voice trembling. “They have your father, Zane! They took him, and we have no idea where he is or why!”
“Mom—” Zane began, but Victoria shook him off and turned, noticing Alessia for the first time.
“Alessia!” Victoria cried, rushing toward her daughter. “Do you know anything? Have they called again? Do they want money?”
Alessia caught her mother’s trembling hands, her own heart breaking at the sight of her usually composed mother so distraught. “I don’t know, Mom. Christian told me what happened, but we don’t have any more information yet. I promise we’re doing everything we can to find Dad.”
Victoria sobbed, clutching Alessia’s hands tightly. “What if they hurt him? What if—”
“Stop,” Alessia said firmly, cutting her off. “We can’t think like that. Dad is strong, and we’re going to find him. I need you to hold it together for him—and for us.”
Victoria nodded shakily, though her tears didn’t stop. Zane guided her to the couch, his arm around her shoulders. “Just breathe, Mom. We’ve got people working on this.”
The sound of rapid typing drew Alessia’s attention to the far side of the room, where Elena, her godmother and longtime family friend, sat at a small desk with her laptop. Tobias and Jonathan were flanking her, both peering at the screen as she worked furiously.
“Elena,” Alessia said, striding over. “What do we know?”
Elena didn’t look up, her fingers flying across the keys. “Not much yet. Tobias and I are tracking every camera feed near the area where Zayden was taken. The car they used had no plates, but I’m trying to backtrack its movements from earlier in the day.”
Jonathan chimed in, his tone grim. “We think they may have switched vehicles after they took him. There’s no sign of the black car on any nearby exit routes.”
Alessia clenched her fists, her frustration bubbling over. “This feels so calculated. How could they know exactly where Dad would be? Who the hell are these people?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Elena said, her voice clipped. She paused, finally looking up at Alessia. “Christian called me on the way here. He’s bringing in Marcus and his team to help. We’re not leaving any stone unturned.”
“Good,” Alessia said, her jaw tight. “We need every resource we can get.”
Zane walked over, his expression strained but focused. “If this is about money, they’ll call soon. But if it’s something else…”
“Then we have a bigger problem,” Tobias finished grimly. “But why Zayden? Why not target one of you?” He glanced between Alessia and Zane.
“Because Dad is the foundation of this family,” Alessia said, her voice low but steady. “They think taking him will make us crumble.”
“But they’re wrong,” Zane said firmly, his jaw tightening. “We’re not going to crumble. We’re going to fight.”
Victoria, still seated on the couch, looked up at them with glassy eyes. “Just… promise me we’ll get him back. Promise me.”
“We will,” Alessia said, her voice unwavering. “I swear, Mom. We’ll bring him home.”